Come Feb. 14, impress loved ones with Ina Garten’s Valentine’s Day dishes that look impressive but are more of a “How easy is that?” moment. Ahead, Barefoot Contessa dishes for any Valentine’s Day menu that only look like they took hours to make.
1. Ina Garten’s crème anglaise trick takes seconds for an easy Valentine’s Day treat
It’s French, sounds fancy, and might even strike up images of Iron Chef-level confidence in the kitchen. No one has to know it came together in seconds thanks to Garten’s “trick” for a quick crème anglaise.
“Vanilla ice cream is crème anglaise that’s been frozen,” she once said (via Food Network). “All you just have to do is defrost some ice cream and, voilà, you’ve got crème anglaise.”
Serve with bread pudding, like Garten’s been known to do, or drizzle crème anglaise over fresh berries. However it’s used, the creamy sauce is bound to impress. Just be sure to have some vanilla ice cream in the freezer. Garten prefers Häagen-Dazs.
2. Ina Garten’s ‘fastest weeknight pasta’ is special enough for Valentine’s Day
Garten’s lemon capellini, which she typically makes on New Year’s Eve for a quick meal before the ball drops, works just as well for Valentine’s Day. Not only is it fancy (hello, caviar!) but it’s simple to make.
Originally seen in her debut Barefoot Contessa cookbook, the dish features quick-cooking pasta, lots of butter, lemon juice, and caviar on top. The balance of ingredients makes it equal parts special and relaxed. Perfect for a cozy night at home on Valentine’s Day.
3. Ina Garten makes ice cream sandwiches easier with shortcuts
These may not be a traditional Valentine’s Day dessert, but with a few swaps, Garten’s take on the classic ice cream sandwich can be festive in practically no time at all.
The Go-To Dinners author uses store-bought ice cream and store-bought cookies to make ice cream sandwiches. Remember to select what Garten would refer to as “good” ice cream and “good” cookies.
Typically, Garten coats the outside of each sandwich with nuts. However, for Valentine’s Day, try swapping the nuts out for red, pink, and white sprinkles.
15 minutes of prep, according to Food Network, is all it takes to make Garten’s ice cream sandwiches.
4. Make a Valentine’s Day breakfast special (in seconds) with Ina Garten’s easy blender hollandaise
Wow loved ones on Valentine’s Day with a batch of Garten’s easy hollandaise. While it may not seem like an obvious choice for Valentine’s Day, trust us when we say it will impress, and no one has to know how easy it is to make.
Go all out with Barefoot Contessa eggs benedict and the Be My Guest star’s method for perfectly poached eggs. Or keep it simple and use the sauce to turn up the volume, as Garten would say, on breakfast classics such as omelets or scrambled eggs.
Just be sure to keep Garten’s “key” to making hollandaise sauce in mind: hot butter and room-temperature eggs.
